Rip My Heart Out
by jokergirl2001
Summary: "Go ahead then, Kol. Rip my heart out if that's easier than being in love with me." Lucas hates Mystic Falls. One of the only reasons he was there was to make sure Matt doesn't die. Somewhere along the way, Kol became another reason.
1. Chapter 1

_Growing up, I had no idea vampires even existed. I always wanted to just get out of Mystic Falls, like my bastard of a father did when he left behind my drunk of a mother._

 _When I did get the chance to leave, thanks to a scholarship to a college in New York, I wanted to take Matt and Vicki with me. I wasn't allowed to, even though Vicki would have been alive today if I was allowed._

 _I hate Mystic Falls. One of the only reasons why I'm really here is to make sure Matt doesn't die._

 _I can't lose another sibling._

* * *

Luke Donovan was in a very good mood.

How could he not be? Stefan Salvatore, the bastard who staked his sister almost a year ago, was still gone. All thanks to Klaus. If Klaus ever decided to visit Mystic Falls again, Luke would no doubt offer him a free drink.

Considering Elena was still alive, Luke was sure that Klaus was bound to return at one point or another.

However, right now the twenty-one year old had better things to do than thinking about the girl who broke his baby brother's heart a year ago.

He persistently knocked on the Gilbert's door, not stopping until the door went open.

"What? It's my day off," Jeremy greeted him in an annoyed tone.

Luke's smile only widened.

"Hello, Jeremy."

Jeremy's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "You're in a good mood."

"A little birdie told me that you can see my dead sister. Under normal circumstances, I'd assume you were just messing around and beat you up. But, well, considering I spent the whole summer reading grimoires...I think you really are seeing my baby sister."

Jeremy's eyes widened. "You don't think I'm crazy?"

"Oh, I didn't say you're not crazy," Luke happily corrected, earning a glare from the Gilbert.

"Why were you even reading grimoires?" Jeremy asked, thoughtful.

"I'm a Harry Potter fanboy."

Jeremy gave him a weird look before opening the door.

Luke shook his head at the silent gesture. "Go get dressed, Gilbert. I got plans for us today, plans that include you contacting my dear sister."

As Jeremy went inside to get dressed, Luke dug through his pockets for a smoke. Sure, he wasn't a hardcore druggie and alcoholic anymore, but that didn't mean he completely kicked away his bad habits.

"I'm ready."

"Jailbait," Luke teased, approving Jeremy's outfit, and offered the Gilbert a cigarette.

Jeremy rolled his eyes at the comment, but took the offering anyway. Of course, the Gilbert had his own lighter.

"Where's your car?"

"Ever heard of walking?"

"The cemetery?" Jeremy asked. "You said you were going to help me contact Vicki."

Luke shot Jeremy an annoyed look.

"You have no idea what today is, do you?"

If possible, Jeremy looked even more confused.

"Today's the day my baby sister was supposed to turn nineteen, idiot."

Jeremy had the decency to look ashamed and guilty at the same time, but thanks to Jeremy's lack of basic knowledge concerning his sister, Luke now knew that whatever Jeremy and Vicki had wasn't serious.

"Follow along, baby Gilbert," Luke ordered while entering the cemetery.

He smirked when Jeremy followed without giving any lip.

"Matt probably already visited before work," Luke mused when he saw a single bouquet of flowers laying at Vicki's tombstone.

His annoyed face turned into a scowl when he realized that he and Matt were the only ones who remembered about Vicki's birthday. But of course no one would remember, because no one have really ever given a damn about him or his siblings. They only really had each other, despite how Matt liked to believe he had his stupid friends.

"Why's Matt working today? Shouldn't he take the day off?"

"We need money to pay for bills."

Jeremy looked surprised.

It seemed like Matt's friends didn't even care enough to realize that.

"Lu-"

"Is Victoria present?" Luke cut off, not wanting any pity from anyone.

"No, I don't see her right now," Jeremy hesitantly answered, glancing around to double-check.

"Do you even know why you can see her?"

Jeremy shook his head no.

Luke had to resist the urge to facepalm. "You told my baby brother you saw Victoria two months ago, during Elena's birthday. Two months ago."

"What's your point?" Jeremy defensively asked.

"You _still_ don't know anything!" Luke snapped, losing his patience. "There are vampires, werewolves and witches in this stupid town. Seeing ghosts gives you an edge. If you spent the last months actively learning more about your abilities instead of playing normal teenager, you could have even found Stefan for your sister by now."

"I _am_ a teenager!" Jeremy snapped back, looking like he had wanted to say that for a long time already.

"But you're not normal!" Luke harshly exclaimed, putting his hands on Jeremy's shoulders and tightening his grip on them. "You are a medium."

Jeremy winced at the grip.

"According to the grimoires I've read, you're not a natural born medium. Rather, you were turned into a medium."

"How?"

Luke's grip relaxed on Jeremy. The blonde was now calm again.

"You died and you were resurrected by magic Jeremy."

Luke stepped back and gave Jeremy a moment to process and make sense of everything that was going on. Despite how harsh Luke was acting about it, he wasn't a complete jerk. He just wanted to talk to his baby sister.

"Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"Tell me what I have to do to see Vicki."

For the first time that day, Luke smiled.

"First off," he produced a folded picture from his pocket, "You'll need a personal item."

Jeremy took the photograph and looked at it, eyes soft in fondness. The picture was of Luke, Matt and Vicki on the day Luke had left to attend college. Luke regretted going to college without his siblings. He should have stayed.

"Second," Luke quietly said. "Think about-"

 _"Lucas."_

"Vicki?" Jeremy gasped, looking over Luke's shoulders.

Luke quickly whirled around. "Is she here?" He asked, seeing nothing. "She's here, right Jeremy?"

"Y-yeah," Jeremy confirmed, still wide eyes. "You said you needed help. Tell me how I can help you please."

"Ignore him, Victoria," Luke quickly said, despite not being able to see his baby sister. "I have something important to tell you."

Luke cursed in annoyance when Jeremy ran off after uttering the name of his dead vampire ex-girlfriend.

"Victoria, I'm hoping you're still here. Look, you're stuck on this other dimension for dead supernatural creatures called the Other Side. Usually you can only leave by finding peace. But I'll bring you back. I just need a powerful witch. Please, don't move on."

Luke took a deep breath, a shaky smile lighting up his face.

"Happy birthday, Victoria."

"Lucas."

Luke startled in surprise as Vicki suddenly appeared in front of him, giving him a smile.

"Victoria...?"

"I think I already found the powerful witch," Vicki playfully said, walking towards him.

Luke did the only thing he could think of doing, he hugged Vicki.

Or attempted to at least, considering he just phased through her. He regained his balance before he could fall and embarrass himself in front of his dead baby sister.

Luke scowled at a laughing Vicki. "It hasn't even been a minute and you're already ruining our reunion, Victoria."

His words made Vicki stop laughing.

"It's not a reunion if we can't hug."

"I'm working on it."

"I already have a solution. I just need your help. Will you help me, big brother?"

"Always."

Vicki grinned and then she explained everything.

* * *

 _ **Chapter End.**_

* * *

 _ **Author's note:** for those of you who read my other stories, I haven't been updating because of school. This is a story I have on Wattpad, and I recommend you to read on Wattpad as well since this story flows better there, with me being able to show you what "Lucas" looks like and also illustrate stuff.. Just search me up on Wattpad and read this story there. (Same username.)_

 _Also **very** important: I'm not just "adding" a character and letting the story basically play the same as in the show. Lucas **will** make changes. _

_Pairing? LucasxKol, with some other ship teases here and there._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two:**

 **vindictive siblings.**

* * *

"So, just to get this straight. A witch on the Other Side is powerful enough to cast a spell that allows you to become part of the physical world whenever you want?"

Vicki nodded. "After I kill Elena, she'll make it permanent."

Lucas sighed.

Of course everything came down to Elena. There was just something off about the whole plan though, something Lucas knew he wasn't aware of.

"Why Elena?"

Vicki looked hesitant.

"Trust me, baby sister."

The hesitation faded away as Vicki sighed. "She's the key, Lucas."

"The key to what exactly?"

"To the hybrids. Klaus and Elena's bloods are needed to make hybrids. Hybrids can't exist, there needs to be a balance."

"So you know about Klaus?" Lucas asked, ignoring everything else of what Vicki had revealed to him.

"There isn't much to do other than watch everything going around. I was actually pretty excited when Elena died, but then she came back to life."

Lucas laughed at that part, knowing that Vicki had a grudge towards Elena for breaking Matt's heart. He also disliked Elena for that same reason, but not to the point of wishing the girl was dead.

Vicki was smiling at him when he finished. "You'll help me, right?"

"Are you okay with being a hybrid?"

Vicki furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"Technically speaking, once the deal is one, you'll be a vampire and a ghost."

"I didn't think of that. I just wanna be alive again."

"Then, let's do it. Let's do that ritual thing to get enable you to interact with the living world and then we'll do it."

"Are you saying...?"

"I'll kill Elena."

It was Vicki's turn to attempt to tackle him in a hug.

Unlike him however, Vicki didn't have balance at all, resulting in her falling on the ground.

Lucas did what any sibling would do. He snickered in amusement.

"Quit laying around and let's go get those candles."

"We can't do the ritual today. I have to go talk to the witch and she has to get ready for it."

"Makes sense I guess. Guess I'll see you around?"

"You can only see me when you think of me."

"I don't even know how I can see you right now."

"I told you, the witch that's helping me is powerful. She cast a spell that lets you see me, which is why she needs time for the other spell."

Lucas wanted to ask Vicki to tell him who exactly the witch was, but simply bit his tongue. For all he knew, the witch could be watching them right now. He didn't need the witch catching on to how he didn't trust her.

"Okay."

"Lucas, think of me, alright?"

"Always," Lucas smiled as Vicki walked away.

He had figured it out.

He figured out why the plan sounded so weird.

It was because the witch bitch, whoever she was, had no intention of letting Vicki permanently come and go as she pleases.

If Vicki was allowed to, then Vicki would be upsetting the balance of Nature. And any witch who deemed themselves self-righteous enough to declare that Klaus wasn't allowed to make more hybrids in order to maintain the balance wasn't going to just let Vicki upset the balance.

 _'Guess college really did pay off in the thinking department,'_ Lucas smiled to himself, already knowing he would spent the day riffling through grimoires.

Lucas was banking on the chance that he might be able to outsmart whoever the witch 'helping' his baby sister was. After all, Elena and her friends had somehow managed to outsmart Klaus who was probably older than the witch he was dealing with.

* * *

Now Lucas, despite his recent binge-reading of various grimoires, was unfortunately not a witch.

Otherwise he would have brought Vicki back ages ago by using loopholes through various spells he's skimmed upon.

Lucas Donovan was human. One hundred percent human.

So he followed the example of Elena Gilbert and went to Bonnie for help. Really, he was sure that if it wasn't for Bonnie, Elena would be dead by now.

"Oh hey Luke, how are you?" Bonnie immediately smiled when she opened up the door for him.

"I'm fine, thank you for asking. Your boyfriend should really learn some manners from you."

Bonnie chuckled at that. "So, what are you doing here?"

With a smile, Lucas revealed the stuffed cat he was holding from behind his back. The cat was wearing a stereotypical witch hat. "Thought I'd welcome you back. I mean this isn't as good as the cake you gave me when I came back, but I figured since you never found Ms Cuddles..."

He trailed off when Bonnie brought him into a hug.

"Like it?"

"Love it! I'll name him Mister Cuddles!" Bonnie declared, taking the stuffed toy and nuzzling it to herself.

"You, my beautiful witch, are not creative when it comes to names," Lucas teased, unable to resist the urge to play with Bonnie's cheeks.

He ignored the gibberish protests that escaped her at his actions.

He was too busy recalling how Caroline was the one who hid away Ms Cuddles and how Caroline had come crying to him about it, confessing that it had been because of a fight she and Bonnie had gotten into. A fight over who would marry him when they grew up.

"Do you still like me?" Lucas asked without thinking, releasing Bonnie's cheeks from his hands to hear her answer.

"What? No way," Bonnie scoffed. "I moved on after..."

"After I went to college?" Lucas guessed.

Bonnie nodded and opened the door.

"I'm guessing you came here for more than just a welcoming gift."

"Smart and beautiful. How in the world did Jeremy manage to become your boyfriend?" Lucas lamented while entering.

"You're acting like I should date someone else," Bonnie theorized as they walked to the kitchen together.

Lucas picked a blue mug. His mug. The mug he used whenever he came over to Bonnie's. In fact, he had a mug at everyone's place. Even the Salvatore's.

"I'm just saying you deserve someone who can actually keep up with you. Heck, I think even Tyler would be better for you even though I can't stand his face."

Lucas and Tyler used to be good. But then Tyler just had to play around with Vicki _and_ make-out with his mother in front of his face.

"Or Klaus," Lucas joked.

Bonnie snorted at that. "I'd prefer Elijah."

Lucas suggestively wiggled his eyebrows at the Bennett, earning him a slap on his shoulder.

"Jasmine tea, right?" Bonnie asked.

Lucas nodded, a sly smile in place. "If I was you, I'd dump the Gilbert and go for the Original hottie too. Elijah's intelligent, wealthy and good looking. I wouldn't blame you."

"Didn't you and Elijah have a thing?" Bonnie asked while rolling her eyes, not realizing the slight blush she had. "You two were close when he was in town."

The blond snorted, "We were book-buddies. I needed someone to actually engage in an interesting conversation with, no offense to you of course."

Bonnie sweetly smiled. "I remember you being the one who couldn't even read a book to save his life. Two years really changes a person, huh?"

She was totally offended.

"What can I say? My boyfriend was really persuasive."

"Oh? Is this mysterious college boyfriend the reason why you quit drugs and excessive drinking?"

"Definitely. We just had a conversation and he said this deep bullshit that made me think. Then I started to quit the next day. He's awesome like that."

"You're acting like he's the only one who ever tried making you stop," Bonnie pointedly said.

Lucas grimaced even as he grabbed Bonnie's pink mug. The mug had "Where dwell the brave at heart" written at it. "So about that favor?"

"I'm listening."

"I need you to make a magic ring for me," Lucas produced a piece of folded paper from his pockets. He had copied a page from a grimoire to bring to Bonnie.

"A magic ring?" Bonnie frowned.

"You know how magic usually helps beings overcome obstacles? Like how daylight rings help vampires against the sun or how those Gilbert rings let a human come back to life if they're killed by supernatural beings?"

"Yeah. But I'm guessing you don't need me to make either of those."

 _'Maybe a daylight ring later...'_

"I need you to make me a magic ring that roots a spirit to the living world."

Bonnie snatched the paper from him, a pissed and confused look on her face came as she skimmed through the page.

"You're trying to bring Vicki back, I see. But I won't be able to help."

"You mean you don't want to."

"No, I really can't. This ring you want me to make would only ever be able to help if Vicki could already interact with the physical and living world. She can't."

A very Cheshire cat-like grin made its way on Luke's face.

"Not yet, she can't."

Bonnie furrowed her eyebrows at him. "You're hiding something."

"I can see my baby sister, Bonnie," Lucas admitted the truth. Bonnie was possibly the only friend he currently had in Mystic Falls after all. "There's this witch on the Other Side that cast a spell."

Bonnie's eyes widened. "She'd have to be strong to do that!"

"Apparently she is, considering she's going to cast a spell to temporarily let Victoria phase through the living."

"There's a catch, isn't there? Otherwise there would be other dead supernatural creatures roaming around."

Lucas nodded. "The witch wants Victoria to kill Elena. I'm going to take a guess and say you don't want Elena to die."

"Look, I can help you, but Vicki's a vampire too, remember? A vampire who can't control herself."

"I was hoping you'd come up with a solution for that. I mean, I was thinking a binding that would let me have control over her, but I haven't seen any spell similar to it."

Bonnie gained a thoughtful look. "I think-"

Their conversation was interrupted by the steam that poured out of the kettle Bonnie had been using to boil the water for their tea.

"Tea time, Bonnie," Lucas said, signalling a break to their conversation.

He knew Bonnie would need time to think.

Just like how he knew Bonnie would ultimately agree. Either because of some sense of loyalty to him and Matt or because Bonnie still had a minor crush on him.

Either worked for him.

"Jeremy can see Anna."

Bonnie promptly spat out the tea she had been drinking.

Yeah, he was feeling vindictive over Jeremy walking off earlier.

* * *

 _ **Chapter End.**_

* * *

 _ **Author's note:**...well, here's chapter two. Remember to support this story on Wattpad as well.._


	3. Wait, he has a sister too?

Lucas had a feeling that his luck had finally started to turn around. That life, after playing a series of cruel jokes on him, had finally started to ease up.

He felt like he was on cloud nine while Vicki was wrapped in his arms in the longest embrace they've ever shared.

Back before Vicki died, he would relentlessly tease her whenever she cried on him while rambling.

But that was _before_ he went through the pain of losing his baby sister. Before he had to watch them bury her body. Before Damon and Stefan Salvatore came to Mystic Falls and ruined the pathetic pieces that was left of his family.

Lucas honestly didn't care about Vicki's ramblings, he wasn't even surprised to hear that Elena had kissed Damon. Instead of caring about Vicki's ramblings, he simply played with her hair, knowing that Vicki always liked it when he or Matt would do it.

"I missed you so much, Lucas. It felt horrible seeing Matty work with that whore Elena! Do you know how disgusted I felt watching my killers both fall in love with that bitch? And then when she kissed Damon! Why did Matty even like her? Why does Matty even still care about her? But you didn't! You didn't go play friends with _them_ , you were on my side even though I was dead."

Lucas' hand then fell to Vicki's hand, specifically to the jade ring he had given her the moment she was able to interact with the living world. It matched the jade ring that he was wearing that bind them together.

"God, I was such a bitch to you when I was alive. I'm sorry I ignored all your calls when you were in college. I'm sorry about telling you that I hated you _after_ you had already left with my permission. I didn't mean it, you know? You know I didn't mean it, right Lucas? It was just the things I was taking. They make me say stuff I don't mean. Lucas, you know I love you, right? You know you're the best brother in the whole world to Matty and me, right?"

"Don't you mean the worst brother?" Lucas allowed a bit of his self-depreciation to show. "If I was the best, you wouldn't be have died in the first place."

He felt Vicki shake her head in disagreement.

"I saw you beating up Tyler _and_ Jeremy when you came back for my funeral. And then when you found out it was the Salvatore brothers that are the reason why I'm dead, you were going to go stake them if Matty hadn't stopped you. And don't act like I haven't seen you send out college applications for me when I was alive and searching up athletic scholarships for Matty."

Lucas didn't reply.

He didn't need to, because Vicki was already rambling about how she was going to make the Salvatore brothers pay for what they did to her.

He'd leave that to Matt.

Matt was the most pacifist one between them, after all.

That didn't stop him from chiming in his own ideas as well.

With a promise for some blood bags, Vicki fell asleep for the first time in forever, laying in her big brother's arms. The only place she's ever felt truly safe.

When Lucas realized that Vicki had fallen asleep, he simply rolled his eyes in fond amusement.

He easily lifted her up, there was a reason he was able to get an athletic scholarship after all, and carried her upstairs to Vicki's bedroom. Despite being bare, it still had her bed, closet and nightstand.

Luckily, he and Matt hadn't gotten around to donating everything. Just her clothes and other little things.

 **:::**

Lucas was feeling frustrated as he walked through the high-school building. Where was everyone?

Back when he was a senior, _everyone_ participated on senior prank night. Who wouldn't want revenge on the teachers they disliked? Heck, he was sure that if coach Tanner was still alive, everyone would have participated.

"Matt! Matty-blue eyes! Rapunzel!" Lucas called out, walking through the halls.

Noticing the lights were on in a classroom, he decided to open it and hoped that Matt was in there.

Of course, he couldn't be so lucky despite how good life has been lately.

"Uh, hey," he awkwardly greeted the two people who were in the classroom, hoping he wasn't interrupting a hook-up or something.

The man, blond-haired and amused blue eyes, nodded in greeting. "I'm afraid whoever it is you're looking for isn't here."

"I figured the moment I didn't see Elena or Bonnie," Lucas easily admitted.

"I swear, if I have to hear that doppelganger's name on more time..." the blonde girl groaned in frustration.

Lucas was sure that the girl would get along with Vicki.

Wait...

"Doppelganger," Lucas repeated with a sense of dread. "Let me guess, you're Klaus?"

Klaus merely smirked in response.

"And you're his girlfriend?"

"Sister," the girl corrected with a scoff. "My name's Rebekah Mikaelson."

"Oh. It's a pleasure to meet you, I guess."

It was then that Lucas noticed that there was a third person in the room. A knocked out Tyler.

Without realizing it, Lucas was smiling widely. His life really was good lately. "Okay, which one of you did that to Lockwood wonderboy?"

"That would be Nik's work," Rebekah answered, voice shrouded in amusement as Lucas gave Tyler a kick.

"Man, I officially love you Klaus. Can you like kill Damon too?"

Klaus chuckled in amusement. "I'm guessing you aren't exactly on the doppelganger's side."

"Nope, not really," Lucas shamelessly admitted. "They, in my eyes, are currently more evil than you. Which says something, considering I heard a lot about you."

"Who are you?" Rebekah finally asked.

"I'm curious too," Klaus added.

Lucas gave Tyler another kick. "I'm Lucas Donovan. I hope you continue antagonizing team Elena."

"Well, considering Nik still has to figure out how to make his hybrids..." Rebekah trailed off when Klaus shot her a warning look.

They didn't trust him.

Good. Lucas would be disappointed if they had suddenly become best friends, despite how well they were getting along.

Actually...now that he thought about it...

"How 'bout a deal?"

Rebekah and Klaus looked at him in interest.

He knew they were humoring him.

"I'll tell you what you need to know and you get me a witch to help me out with something."

"You do know how much a possible hybrid army means to my brother right? And you're only asking for one witch in return?" Rebekah asked in disbelief.

"You're right. I should ask for money too. Unlimited pizza for life."

Rebekah snorted in amusement and turned towards Klaus. "Are you going to humor him?"

Klaus was smiling.

Lucas felt goosebumps.

Why?

Because Klaus had a dangerous smile. A smile that meant that if Lucas didn't keep his end of the bargain, Klaus would probably snap his neck without hesitating.

"Tell me, Lucas, what do I need to know?"

"H-how to make hybrids." Lucas inwardly cursed himself for stuttering.

Klaus placed his hands on his shoulders.

Lucas gulped, knowing it would take a split second for him to die.

"And Lucas, tell me, _how_ do I make a hybrid?"

"Elena's blood is the key," Lucas quietly said. "Her blood made you a hyrbid, didn't it?"

Before he could do anything, the door of the classroom went open again.

Lucas was sure he had never been more glad to see Caroline before.

"Lucas? What are you doing here?!" Caroline shrieked.

"Flirting with Klaus," Lucas deadpanned, breathing out a relieved sigh when Klaus let him go.

"If your suggestion works, we have a deal. If it doesn't..."

"I die."

"We actually have a smart one," Klaus noted to Rebekah who nodded in agreement.

Ignoring Caroline's confused look, Lucas quickly walked away. "I gotta go find Matt. I'll see you guys around."

He hoped to any divine being who was kind enough to hear him that his Grimoire reading paid off. Otherwise, well, Klaus would kill him.


	4. We need therapy

Lucas sat in Matt's pickup truck outside of school. The blond could still feel his heart beating wildly. He knew it was reckless of him to have made that deal with Klaus, but there was no going back. Hopefully, Vicki was right about Elena's blood being the key to the Original Hybrid's hybrid problem.

If not, well that was something Lucas didn't want to think about.

For now, he just wanted Matt to hurry up and come outside so he could take his little brother home where he could let his little siblings reunite.

Lucas itched for a quick smoke, but he quelled the urge and instead grabbed his phone. He didn't have to waste his time opening any lock screen because he didn't have a password and couldn't be bothered to put one.

He scrolled through his contacts, noting that he would have to scrounge up money to get Vicki a new phone. He sighed at the thought and clicked on one of his contacts.

 _How's college going, nerd? I haven't seen you in ages and I have a hell of a story to tell you. Can't wait until Christmas. Wish I could see you sooner, but I respect your decision. I miss you._

Lucas looked at the message he had just typed and debated erasing the 'I miss you' so he didn't seem desperate.

Ultimately, Lucas left it and sent the message.

Christmas couldn't come sooner.

Hopefully, he and his little siblings will be out of Mystic Falls by then. With Vicki being a vampire, they could probably even live a bit comfortably for a while as long as Matt's morals don't get in the way.

A knock on the passenger side's window started Lucas out of his thoughts.

"Shit," Lucas softly cursed as he unlocked the door for a tired looking Matt.

Matt quietly got into the car and buckled up.

"What's wrong?"

Matt shook his head, "Everything's wrong. Jeremy's missing. Mom bailed on us. Vicki's dead but somehow Jeremy's seeing her. _Vampires_ exist and all my friends are involved with the supernatural world somehow."

Lucas listened patiently to Matt's rant, knowing that as soon as they got home he would be able to lift his little brother's mood up. He also debated hiring a psychologist for him and his siblings as soon as they could afford it since they all had issues. For now though, he would have to help his little siblings to the best of his capabilities.

"How did my life turn into this mess?" Matt wondered. "Just last summer, I was a lifeguard at the pool and the only two problems I had in my life were that Elena was breaking up with me and I sucked at CPR."

Lucas snorted in amusement. He was sure that those weren't the only problems in Matt's life back then, but he didn't voice this thought.

"Stefan, Damon and Katherine. Choose one and blame them for everything that goes wrong. I'm sure that fifty percent of the time it's their fault anyways."

The other fifty percent was Elena, but Lucas was sure Matt didn't want to talk about that. Also, Matt would probably have to endure Vicki's full on hatred for Elena soon enough anyways, so he'd leave the wake up calls to Vicki.

Matt smiled. "Can't I pick all three?"

"Go big or go home, huh?" Lucas chuckled in amusement as he started up the engine of the truck. "As soon as we can, we're gonna replace this piece of junk."

With that being said, he started driving home.

"Sorry."

Lucas glanced at Matt's regretful face. "It was mom that got this truck, so don't worry about it."

"Not that."

"Then what?"

Matt sighed. "For forcing you to come back here. You had to give up that job offer just so you could come back and take care of me. You got out of this town but came back because of me. Because I couldn't properly take care of Vicki and she died."

Lucas' grip on the steering wheel tightened.

"You're my little brother. I'd choose you over some fancy job anytime."

"But you hate My-"

"And what happened to Vicki is on Damon and Stefan. Not you. Got it?"

Matt didn't answer.

Lucas forced himself to relax a bit. "I got you a surprise today."

"A surprise?" Matt slowly repeated, voice skeptical. "I don't really like surprises anymore."

"Oh, trust me, you'll love this one _Matty_."

Matt rolled his eyes, a small smile tugging on his lips. "Sure."

The conversation died out into a comfortable silence between them and Lucas turned on the radio.

 **::::**

"Okay, I give. What's the surprise?" Matt curiously asked.

"If I told you it wouldn't exactly be a surprise."

With a knowing smirk, Lucas opened the door to their house. He immediately heard noises coming from the kitchen and figured that it was probably Vicki. Without a backward glance to a confused Matt, he walked towards the kitchen.

He was greeted with the sight of Vicki going through what seemed to be her fourth blood bag.

"Hungry, aren't we?" He teasingly said, despite the concern he was feeling.

Blood bags weren't easy to come by. Especially when he didn't want anyone but Matt finding out about Vicki for the time being. He had a feeling that Elena and her crew won't let Vicki be considering vampire Vicki's an addict taken up to eleven and fuck knows what other issues ghost Vicki had.

In response Vicki smirked at him, not even bothered to stop drinking.

"I have a surprise for you Victoria."

As if on cue, Matt walked into the kitchen. "Luke, whatever surprise you have I think I'm too tired for..."

Matt froze.

Vicki slowly set down her blood bag, tears already filling her eyes.

"Vicki...?" Matt tentatively uttered.

"Go on then, hug it out," Luke casually said, ignoring how emotional he himself was feeling.

Vicki didn't hesitate at all to vamp speed towards Matt and crashed into him in a hug.

"Matt..."

It was as if the hug made Matt realize that Vicki was _real_ and it made the dam broke. Matt let the tears trail down his face as he hugged his sister in a fierce embrace.

Luke felt his phone vibrating and quietly walked out of the kitchen. He wasn't sure he could keep watching his little siblings crying anyways, even if they were tears of joy.

It was an unknown caller.

Forcing back a disappointed sigh, Luke picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Lucas."

Luke stilled. "...Klaus."

He could hear the hybrid chuckling on the other side. Oddly enough, the hybrid sounded happy and content. It made Luke unwillingly relax.

"You were right. Elena's blood is the key."

A relieved sigh escaped the eldest Donovan.

"What do you need a witch for?"

"A daylight ring."

"Consider it done."

Luke couldn't bite back the smile that tugged at his lips. Vicki would be able to walk in the daylight now and he didn't have to force Bonnie to make the ring.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, Lucas."

With that, Klaus hung up. Immediately Lucas got a text from the same number with a motel address on it and a time.

Feeling a bit more confident that things really were starting to look up, Luke walked back into the kitchen to see Vicki and Matt sitting there conversing with one another.

 _'Guess Victoria hasn't started on the whole Elena thing yet...'_ he noted in amusement.

His amusement quickly faded away once the reality of the situation hit him.

Vicki wasn't going to rave about Elena being a bitch that didn't deserve Matt. Well...maybe she would do that too. Probably.

However, Vicki was also going to rave about Stefan and Damon. Vampires.

"We have to leave Mystic Falls as soon as we can."

Vicki and Matt both turned to look at him.

"What?" They asked in unison.

"This town is a safety hazard and I am _not_ losing a sibling ever again. Pack up your bags. We're leaving."

Vicki snorted, "And go where? To your boyfriend's apartment?"

"Is there a problem with that?" Luke defensively asked.

"The asshole hasn't texted you in what? Four months? Get it through your head, he doesn't want you anymore."

Annoyance flared inside Luke. "We're just on a break while he finishes college."

"That's practically a break up."

"Vicki," Matt hissed in warning.

"No!" Vicki yelled, standing up. "I am tired of seeing Lucas crying over an asshole that can't even be bothered to send him a text and I am done seeing you hurt yourself because of your _friends_!"

For a moment, the Donovan siblings were quiet.

Luke, while slightly ashamed that his own little sister saw him crying sometimes, sighed.

"We can go somewhere else then."

"With what money?" Matt asked, arms crossed.

"Money's not an issue Matty," Vicki informed while letting her vamp features show.

Matt stared at Vicki for a while before sighing.

"We can't leave."

Luke raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

Matt looked at Vicki. "Do you want to just leave Jeremy? Tyler?"

Vicki bit her lips in thought.

Matt nodded as if he had proven his point.

"We can't leave because we have people we care about in this town. We can't leave them behind _now_ when things are crap."

"We?" Luke asked. "The people in this town aren't my priority."

"No, Vicki and I are." Matt easily said.

Vicki smiled. "And you're not gonna leave us, right?"

 _'Never again,'_ Luke immediately thought.

Then he realized what his siblings were doing.

"Damn it."

The victorious smile Matt and Vicki shared annoyed him to no bounds.

"When this whole Klaus thing blows over, we'll leave. Deal?" Matt asked.

Luke crossed his arms. "On a few conditions."

"Which are?"

Luke looked at Vicki.

"I don't care if you're a vampire ghost hybrid, you're finishing High School with online classes. You're not going to let the others know you're alive until we get your blood addiction under control. If you abuse your compulsion, just don't get caught. No boyfriends named Jeremy or Tyler and no werewolf boyfriend either. No more drugs or excessive drinking. When something is wrong, you open your mouth and tell me. No dying on me ever again either."

Vicki slowly nodded.

"Good."

Then Luke looked at Matt.

"You're going to take vampire defense lessons from Alaric. Your priority is finishing school, not Elena. You're not allowed to be out late without telling me first. Don't piss off Klaus or his sister. No putting your friends before your own life. Don't risk your life, period. Am I being clear?"

It took Matt a bit, but he nodded anyways.

Vicki then giggled. "Okay, _big brother_ , anything else?"

Luke thought for a moment.

"We're going to take family therapy at least twice a month."

Matt and Vicki started laughing.


End file.
